Has the monastery been able to provide you with any information or instructions that will be of assistance to you? I find it a little bit puzzling that they haven't come across the same situation with other westerners.My understanding is that the sponsorship is really just an invitation letter sent to you from the monastery which you then send to the embassy as evidence that you'll be there engaged in practice. I'm currently looking into a long-stay meditation visa for Burma.All the best with your travel and ordination plans.metta

Ben

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.

Hi JeffI'm doing a 30-day retreat in Burma at one of SN Goenka's meditation centres. www.dhamma.orgHaving said that, temporary ordination is an aspiration that I hope to achieve later in life when all my kids are off my hands and my wife gives me permission to go.kind regards

Ben

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.

there is a professional visit pass that you can apply for.This needs to be applied for,I think,1 month before hand and must be applied for outside of Malaysia.Perhaps when you go to the monastary you can start to organise all the paperwork and then possibly after your original visa expires you could go to the embassy in Bangkok(you would need to stay in a monastary in Thailand while you are waiting(remember that you will only get 15 days if you use a land or sea entry,but you can do this a few times).I am not sure of your nationality,but many countries get a 90 day visa on arrival in Malaysia and these can be extended(kiwis can get another 2 months).Good luck with your going forth.With metta

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.Lost in timeLost in spaceAnd meaning

Just a quick note.There is a meditation center/monastary in Malaysia called the Buddhist hermitage that will ordain foreigners.You are accepted initially for 2 weeks(they want to be sure that you are serious about your meditation)and after this you can stay on to continue your meditation practice and if you want to,ordain.

And crawling on the planets face,some insects called the human race.Lost in timeLost in spaceAnd meaning